Southbound train service disrupted after a man was hit by a train at Yishun station.

Woke up earlier than usual today so that I would not be late for my driving lesson at Yio Chu Kang. Ended up being late for more than half an hour instead. Someone jumped off the MRT tracks at Yishun and the southbound train service was disrupted. I had to alight at the Sembawang MRT station to take the shuttle bus service provided by SMRT to Yio Chu Kang MRT station 'coz I had no other alternative. The bus ride from Sembawang to Yio Chu Kang took about 45 minutes.

As I was late for more than half an hour, my driving lesson only lasted an hour today instead of the usual one and a half hour. I was thinking about the incident that happened in the morning and it made me have an ominous feeling that I will have an accident. I couldn't concentrate on driving throughout the whole lesson. I would stop even when I had the right of way. Also got a scolding from my instructor because of that. SiGh~!

The incident in the morning really spoil my mood for the whole day. It didn't bother me this much when similar incidents happened previously. I wonder what is wrong with me this time round.

I was here.

Was invited by EeHui to attend the opening ceremony of a pottery exhibition which showcases works of her teacher, her mother, her sister and herself. Each pot is a masterpiece. All of them were beautifully crafted. EeHui's works are simple but creative. I particularly like the one with the funny expressions.

Glad I took some time to dress up and make up before I went over. Almost all the guests were dressed in formal wear. Didn't expect the event to be such a grand one so I was dressed quite casually. Luckily, I didn't wear jeans like I had planned to earlier on.

Was stopped by celebrity wannabe, Steven Lim outside Paragon. When I saw him, I just thought he looked kinda familiar. Took me a while to realise who he is. I was quite scared of him and shunned him. Quickly ran into Paragon so that he couldn't get me. HaHa~! Don't know what he was doing there though.

Must thank EeHui for the special invitation to the exhibition. It was an eyeopener. We had a good chat too. The first time after so many months. EeHui, I miss you lots! I need to see more of you to compensate me for your no-show at the last gathering! HaHa~!

For those interested in pottery art, you may want to visit the exhibition which is held at Paragon level 5. It is opened from 11AM to 9PM daily till 6th December 2006.

My first practical driving lesson!

Woke up super early this morning to get ready for my first practical driving lesson. Was so excited that I couldn't sleep the previous night. Went to Yio Chu Kang MRT station to wait for my instructor, Mr Ng, at exactly 8AM. From there, we drove to Lentor, where I get some hands-on. Learnt how to negotiate gradual and sharp bends (though I am still not very good at that), how to make an U-turn, how to brake, how to control the speed of the vehicle and most importantly, how to drive. Mr Ng was very patient with me. He did not scold me when he was correcting my mistakes. Looking forward to my next lesson, which is on this Friday. =)

Met Joanne at Yio Chu Kang MRT station at around noon time. She had to pick up some baking stuff for her mom at The Adelphi before we go to Vivo City for our shopping spree. We were supposed to alight at City Hall MRT station but ended up alighting at Raffles Place MRT station. Only realised that we alighted at the wrong station when we couldn't find the place at Raffles Place. Took the train back to City Hall after seeking help from the staff at the passenger service counter.

Had lunch at Funan I.T. Mall after picking up the baking stuff. Ordered a sambal sotong rice set but it looked and tasted more like green curry sotong briyani. Couldn't finish the food 'coz it was too yucky.

Took the train from City Hall to Harbourfront. Vivo City is a huge place! Couldn't really remember where we went and where we didn't. We were there for a whole three hours before we left. Found a few pretty tops. Bought two tank tops with diamantes from Esprit, a pretty blouse from Mango and an empire top from Forever 21. Finally found something I like at Forever 21. There are more variety of clothes at Forever 21 in Vivo City as compared to the one in Wisma Atria.

I really enjoyed myself today. Have to thank Joanne for walking around with me the whole afternoon even though her shoes were biting her feet. Best friends forever! Love ya!

Singapore Expo - Asia Pacific Food Fair and Singapore Home and Design 2006 exhibition

Cancelled WuDong's tuition for this afternoon just to go to the Singapore Expo for the Asia Pacific Food Fair. Though there were many cars queueing outside the full carpark, the traffic was very well controlled. We were able to find a parking space within minutes, much to our surprise.

Saw the Singapore Home and Design 2006 exhibition at hall 6A and walked in to take a look. SsangYong was having a promotion for its new MPV, ActYong. Daddy and I were immediately drawn over by the cool exterior of the vehicle. While we were busy examining the car, mommy spotted Bryan Wong at the neighbouring booth. We were also told by the salesman that Bryan's new car was parked right there in hall 6A! It is a sporty red ActYong. Suits him perfectly.

Went on to view Felicia Chin's dream home for some interior design ideas. It is a dream home designed specially for Felicia Chin. I was impressed by the smart designs. Small but space efficient. Shan't elaborate more. If interested, do make a trip to the showroom at the Singapore Expo hall 6A.

Moved on to the Asia Pacific Food Fair after the Singapore Home and Design 2006 exhibition. Daddy met his old neighbour, the lady boss of Hai's at the Hai's booth. It was she who recognised daddy and asked him if he remembered her. A very cute auntie. Her son is kinda cute too. ^_^

There were lots of people at the fair and I was hit a few times by rude visitors. It was suffocating in there. The exhibitors were not as interesting as the ones at the last food fair. Didn't buy much. Didn't even wanna try the samples.

Ended up liking the Singapore Home and Design 2006 exhibition more than the Asia Pacific Food Fair which was my main purpose for going to the Singapore Expo. Really disappointed with the standard of the food fair this time.

Happy 20th birthday to myself!

It is my birthday today. I believe that wisdom grows with age, so I am happy to be one year older today. =)

Daddy and mommy came back from Taiwan yesterday. They bought lotsa things for us. More than what we had expected. They went with two luggages and came back with four. Among the many things they bought were four big boxes of royal jelly, which they claim to be my birthday present. Didn't get the Majorlica Majorca eye shadow I wanted though.

Had lunch with Pauline and RouShen after tuition with Yati. Walked all the way from Khatib to Yishun! My legs almost broke! Thought it was just a short distance. I really appreciate the MRT station at Khatib now. =X

Daddy came to pick me up at NorthPoint and we went to Parkway Parade from there. Isetan was having a sale for cardholders. Bought Anna Sui's concealer, loose powder and a limited edition shimmering lipstick. Spent a total of $138 and received a gift pack which consists of their latest whitening skincare products and a very pretty 'Secret Wish' cosmetic pouch.

Anna Sui's 'Secret Wish' cosmetic pouch

Topped up the amount to $150 with 3 Skin Food sheet masks and got $15 worth of rebate voucher. Wanted to get Anna Sui's mask and conditioning mist pack with the voucher but mommy wanted to use the voucher for her Shiseido softener. =/

Bought lots of cosmetics and skincare this month and of course, spent a lot of money. Spent almost half of my monthly income on skin care and cosmetics alone.

Part of my skin care and cosmetics purchase this month.

I know that is quite a bit for one month. I have decided that I shall not buy anymore skin care products next month since I already got so many this month. Geez, it is high time I start saving.

My first purchase from Chanel!

Was feeling super lazy today and decided to skip the Macroeconomics lecture today. Since both JiaRui and I are not going for the lecture, we got one of our IM team mates, Pirakash to help us to submit our assignment which is due to today.

Took a cab to town after passing our assignments to Pirakash.

Went to the Chanel counter at Isetan to get the eye tonic which JiaRui strongly recommended and the T-Mat which I found to be good for controlling shine on the T-zone after trying the sample the SA gave me.

We also went to JiaRui's favourite departmental store, Tangs, where she got herself a grey cap from Nike. She put it on immediately after we left Tangs. I felt like I was walking with a celebrity trying to hide herself from public attention. HaHa~!

Walked over to Takashimaya after Tangs. Bought a Q&A book for FTT from Kinokuniya. Wanted to get some recipe books as well but decided not to since I don't have much time to meddle with food anyway.

Came back to Admiralty to teach ShiYing so that I won't have to run all over the place like a mad woman tomorrow. Deliberately arranged to teach her at 3PM so that I won't bump into Mark when I leave her house.

Went over to Geraldine's house in the evening. She was having some kinda family gathering at her house and her aunts mistook me for her other aunt. Her cousins were very cute. One of them even greeted me good afternoon before I enter the room and bidded me goodbye when I left the house. HaHa~! Before I left, heard one of the aunts asking her kid's opinion about engaging my service. I am still quite popular, ya? *Grinz*

Jaslyn called to cancel tuition for tonight and her mother made me go for tuition on Saturday night instead of the usual Saturday afternoon. I don't understand why she dislike tuition in the afternoon. The daughter and the maid are coping very well with the afternoon tuition sessions from what I have observed, but the mother insisted that they can't cope. Super fussy woman who fusses over nothing.

No appointments tomorrow morning. Gonna sleep early tonight to make up for lost sleep. Need my beauty sleep badly.

Wonder Irene!

I know I have said this more than a dozen time, but I am going to say it again. It is tough being the eldest child! Besides being obliged to be the role model for the younger sister, I also got to be her temporary mom while the full time mom goes on holiday. Not only do I not get a single cent for doing so, I also got to fork out money from my own pockets for the groceries! Please don't come and tell me that I ought to appreciate my mom more now that I have experienced how tough it is to be doing her job or how it feels like to not have her around in the house. I do appreciate what my mom does for us and acknowlegdes the significance of her existence, but I must say that she is not having it worse than me. She, as a full time mom, does not have to go to school, study, do assignments, take tests and work on top of her duty to take care of the family. I, on the other hand, have to do all of the above! I am not wonder woman. I need to rest too. I can't assume the role of an elder sister, a dad and a mom, all at the same time. I will break down! I mean it physically and psychologically. My body is protesting. It is not getting enough rest. The dumb haze is making it worse. Wanted to see the doctor today but I was put off by the thought of the queue at the clinic. The sight of the huge pile of laundry to be done gives me a headache. I wonder if I can last till this Saturday. I may just faint tomorrow and end up having to celebrate my birthday at the hospital this Sunday.

Please also don't tell me that I can take advantage of my parents' absence and enjoy the freedom that comes with it. I have got so many things added to my already jam packed to-do list because of their absence and there really isn't any time left for me to enjoy myself. In fact, I would be much better off if they haven't gone on holiday.

Just look at what I went through today and you will understand my plight.

Overslept this morning and woke up just in time to go out for tuition with Charlene and Shermaine. Had to rush out of the house without any food. The three hour tuition was kinda torturous as my stomach growled non-stop.

It was almost 4PM when our tuition ended. Neither here nor there. Decided to go back home and cook dinner instead of eating lunch.

Dropped by the NTUC located at the Woodlands Civic Plaza on the way home and bought some groceries.

Passed by Causeway Point on my way to the Woodlands MRT station and decided to go to The Face Shop and pick up some masks. Was short of $0.20 to qualify for the membership. A girl named Samantha from HCJC who was in the queue behind me was kind enough to volunteer her receipt and saved me from buying another bottle of nail polish. From there, I lugged 4 heavy plastic bags and a big paper bag full of masks to the MRT station, where I took a train back to Admiralty.

At Admiralty, I met XiangHong, who was happily chewing on some french fries. We talked for a while before parting ways. We were supposed to meet for a movie yesterday but didn't 'coz Pauline couldn't go on leave. God must have known that I miss my dear friend so much that he decided to arrange a coincidental meeting for us today. =)

Started cooking after unpacking all the things in the plastic bags once I reached home. Cooked baked rice, lemon chicken and an omelette for dinner.

My first attempt at cooking lemon chicken. Looks not bad right? It tastes delicious too! HeE~!

My specialty, baked rice. Are you hungry yet? HaHa~!

The simple dinner for two poor sisters.

Made a big mess in the kitchen. Spent some time cleaning up the kitchen. Did the laundry after mopping the floor.

See what I meant?

7 simple steps to clear skin.

As promised, and also to celebrate my blog's 100th post-versary, I shall blog about my beauty regime today. I do not have a very good complexion but at least my face is clear most of the time (except for that time of the month). I feel that is something to be proud of. HeE~!

I am a lazy girl to begin with, so I only do simple things to maintain my skin. I do not visit salons for facial treatment. Instead, I do it myself at home. These are what I do:

Step 1: Wash the face with a cleanser.
Make sure there are enough bubbles before applying it on the face. This is to ensure that the cleanser is evenly distributed on the face. Wash the T-zone first before proceeding to wash the cheeks as the T-zone is more oily as compared to the cheeks. Rinse the face in cold running water.

Step 2: Exfoliate.
For this, I like the Ginvera marvel gel as it effectively removes dead skin and blackheads.

Apply minimal amount of the marvel gel on the forehead, the two cheeks, the chin and the nose. Massage these areas in a circular motion, smoothing out the marvel gel. While doing so, white particles will be formed on the face. Rinse the face in cold running water.

Step 3: Mask.
I use all sorts of mask. Have used wash-off masks, peel-off masks and sheet masks before. Each has its own advantages. Wash-off masks are good for deep cleansing, peel-off masks are good for removing surface impurities while sheet masks are good for hydration. The type of mask to use is dependent to the individual's needs and preferences.

I like the masks from The Face Shop. They carry an extensive range of masks at affordable prices.

Step 4: Toner.
Choose one that contains less alcohol so that it does not dry up the face. Use a cotton pad to apply it to the entire face.

Step 5: Eye brightening essence.
I have serious dark eye circles due to frequent late nights. Had been trying lots of products but so far I have not found a product that effectively solves my problem. Despite so, I still use my Fasio eye brightening essence and Toujour La Vie eye firming serum every night. I find both products quite effective in reducing puffiness though.

Apply the essence to the eyes using the ring finger. Gently dab the essence around the eye contour from the inner side of the eye contour to the outer side of the eye contour.

Do not pull or tug at the delicate skin around the eye as it will cause fine lines to form.

Step 6: Whitening cream.
I am using the Fasio extra white whitening cream to lighten my skin tone.

Just have to apply the whitening cream to the entire face, carefully avoiding the eyes and the mouth.

Step 7: Moisturiser.
Similary, apply the moisturiser to the entire face, carefully avoiding the eyes and the mouth.

I am currently using the Shiseido Pureness 3-steps. Love the mattifying effect the moisturiser has on my face. My face feels and looks good after using the moisturiser. Two thumbs up!

That's it. 7 simple steps and I am done. Will take some time to do all these but for the sake of healthy looking skin, it is all worth it. =)

Disclaimer: The above records my personal opinions and is not written to advertise or to influence anyone. Regime recorded is only for reference and may not be suitable for everyone. Try it at your own risk!

The haze is back!

The haze is terrible. It is making me sick. I may need to see the doctor soon. SiGh~!

My skin which is very sensitive, is also affected by the haze. I find myself buying a lot of beauty products recently. The reason being the condition of my skin is getting from bad to worse. It is important to take extra care of our delicate skin with the wind blowing the haze in our direction. Spent a lot of money, but I feel that it is money well spent. Found some really good products which work well for me.

I bought the peel-off rice mask pack from The Face Shop after reading about it in the October issue of Seventeen. The introduction on the label says that this mask pack works deep to remove impurities and dead skin cells. It also says that rice extract helps to restore vital nutrients, moisturizes and protects the skin. I find that to be quite the case after using the mask. My skin really did feel cleaner and more hydrated. In fact, it is so good that I used it when doing facial for mommy. She too felt the effects of the mask. It is truly amazing.

Bought the Fancl Inner Active Pack while I was shopping at the Fancl counter in OG Orchard Point last Sunday.

It functions to banish dullness and dispel roughness in just 15 minutes! It is true! I applied the mask to my face after cleansing and rinsed it off after leaving it on for 15 minutes. After I dry my face, I could feel that my skin was smoother and more supple. I am not kidding. It really worked!

Enough reviews for today. It is getting late and I am tired. Will share my beauty regime and more product reviews in the next entry. Shall turn in soon. It is going to be a long day for me again tomorrow.

Fighting on.

The past two weeks had been terrible. It seemed as if my life only revolves around lectures and tuition. There was simply no time for other activities. On some days, like Mondays and Thursdays, I would be so busy that I had to literally run from place to place so that I could make it for the next appointment on time. Previously, it was the money which drove me on. Now, even the money couldn't turn me on. This spells trouble.

I am in a dilemma now. With a few students graduating and some students suspending tuition for the vacation, there is a sense of urgency to recruit more students so that I can save enough to pay for the examination and course fees due next year. However, recruiting more students will mean reverting to the hectic lifestyle I used to live, which I dread. ArGh~! What am I to do?!

Sophomore year.

Went back to school as a sophomore today. It is the start of the 2006/2007 academic year. Our first lecture for the year was Investment Management. A very interesting lecture was delivered by our dearest Miss Koh Siew Min, who taught us Principles of Banking and Finance last year.

The lecture began with a very 'informative' speech by one of Miss Koh's students, Royston, who kept laughing the whole time he was up on the stage. Well, at least he entertained us for a while.

We learnt about derivatives today. Am quite familiar with other financial instruments such as equities and bonds, but derivatives is something new. Found it very interesting and asked a lot of questions during the lecture. I was the only one shooting questions to Miss Koh during the whole lecture. I am surprised by my enthusiasm in the subject. HaHa~!

We were also given two tutorial questions to do. Will start doing the tutorial tomorrow, before I get more from the other lecturers.

Went to the Popular bookstore in school after the lecture to get the IM textbook. There was a very long queue and there was very little space for us to stand around as the area is pitifully small. It was a relief to finally step out of the bookstore after we paid for our purchases. I could hardly breathe in there.

Very happy with my first day of school. Wonder how long that enthusiasm will last in me. Hopefully, it will be there for a very long time. I need to do well.

Genting Highlands

Was in Genting Highlands with my family from 3 September to 5 September. We took a package from Grassland and paid S$92 per person inclusive of a two-way coach ticket and 2 nights' stay at First World Hotel, meals not provided.

The coach left Boon Lay Shopping Centre at 7AM on 3 September and reached Genting Highlands at 245PM. We went straight to our rooms after checking in. Stayed on the 15th storey of tower 2. No view to comment 'coz we stayed in standard rooms where the windows face those of the opposite tower.

Our room.

We went down to First World Plaza after leaving our bags in the rooms. Mommy needed to get a comb, so we went to Sinma and ended up buying more than what we need, as usual. Bought some tidbits from the snack shop too.

Dinner was at Hou Mei. I had Hawaiian chicken chop with BBQ sauce. Tastes good but the chicken chop was a bit hard.

Wanted to catch Monster House at the cineplex after dinner but we missed the last show of the day. Went back to the room to take a shower instead.

Sis and I went to First World Plaza again for more shopping after dressing up. Went in to Vincci to look at the shoes but there was nothing I fancy. Same for the other shops there. Ended up not buying anything and went back to our room to sleep. Kept waking up in the middle of the night 'coz not used to sleeping so early.

Woke up very early the next morning to wash up. Had breakfast at Burger King. Ordered a King set which includes a cup of hot mocha, a burger and a packet of hushbrown. The hushbrown does not come in one big piece, but in many small round pieces. Never eaten such cute hushbrown before. HeE~!

Bought two tickets to the indoor and outdoor theme parks for sis and I.

My tag.

We went to the outdoor theme park first, which was a very wise decision (by me! =P) because it rained after we were done with most of the rides outdoor. Went on the Pirate Train, Matahari, Cyclone, Spinner, Flying Dragon, Double Deck Carousel and Super Toboggan. We went to Dinosaurland and went boating too.

Me on Spinner!

On the Matahari.

Sis and I on the boat to Dinosaurland.

Going in to Dinosaurland!

Dinosaurs in Dinosaurland.

Fossils at Dinosaurland.

The Super Toboggan!

All ready to go!

Up, up and away!

Boating!

Me pedalling away.

Nice scenery on the boat.

On the Double Deck Carousel. Reliving childhood. =D

Look! We even saw a London bus! It is actually a cafe.

We went back in to the indoor theme park at First World Plaza when we got bored of the outdoor rides. Got on a few other rides there.

On the Ferris Wheel.

On the Venice Gondola. We got the whole boat to ourselves. HeE~!

Little Venice.

On the Rio Float.

Sneaked into the casino with daddy and mommy at midnight. Stayed there till 2AM. An eye-opener, but not to my liking. The smoke in there makes me tear. Moreover, I don't gamble. Went there out of curiousity.

Checked out on Tuesday morning and took the coach back to Singapore at 230PM. It was raining and the roads were slippery. Fortunately, the driver was quite skillful and we reached Singapore safely at 9PM.

Though I enjoyed the trip, it feels good to be home. =)

Shopping is addictive.

You walk into a shop with the intention of buying only one item which you need but end up buying other unnecessary items instead of the one you set out to buy initially.

Does the above sound familiar to you? Well, it happens to me ALL THE TIME. All the more is the case recently.

Bought a lot of accessories these few days. Got a new belt at Bugis Street, a retro headband from Chameleon, a necklace and several earrings from SK Jewellery and TAKA Jewellery. Cannot remember what else I got. Too many. =/

Spent so much at SK and TAKA that I qualified for membership (SK Jewel Card and TAKA Privilege Card). Now I have two more cards in my wallet. It is bursting with cards (not money). My poor (both physically and financially) wallet. =(

Bought a lot of clothes too. Fortunately, I don't shop at high-end boutiques. Bought most of my clothes at Giordano, Hang Ten, Samuel & Kevin, Metro and OG while they were having sales. I am quite a bargain hunter. Am always looking out for sales and offer items. When one is poor, she will try to make do with whatever is available to her. I may need retail therapy very often, but I shop within limits. =P

The tulip minis I ordered from Old Navy is finally coming to Singapore. Hopefully can see it next week. One more piece to mix and match with. Think I am more or less ready for school. HeE~!

Saw George Tay and Vanessa Teo at Causeway Point today. They were paying for their purchases at The Face Shop. Didn't go up and say hi to them though. Checked out Vanessa's blog when I got back home just now. It was only then that I realised that the two of them are an item. Was still wondering why the others in the group weren't with them. Now I know why. HeE~!

Think I should start reading a bit of Corporate Finance before school reopens since I have the textbook. Probably start reading during the kids' one week break so that I don't forget what I have read. My memory is getting from bad to worse. Time to invest in memory boosters again.

What is the difference between NUS and SIM?

Went to SSDC to book my final theory test date today. Fortunately, there was no queue at SSDC. Still remember the last time I went there with JiaRui and we had to wait for a very long time before it was our turn.

Asked HuiJun to go with me and in return, I had to go to school with her. So, we went to NUS after I have booked the test date. Since I was already there, I decided to crash her history lecture. Saw EeHui's ex-boyfriend, Colin in the lecture. He was sitting right in front of me! Found him to be a weird guy after what EeHui told us about him. Was observing him throughout the whole lecture to see if he does any weird acts. Quite disappointed when he didn't. Evil me. HaHa~! Anyway, the lecture was quite interesting, especially the part on Indian civilisation. Surprisingly, I could understand the lecture very well. However, think I will be bored if I had to attend history lectures every week. Not so much an arts person. We went to the central library to print her notes after the lecture. Waited for more than an hour before she got all her notes printed. As a result, I was late for tuition. Mdm Yap was not very happy with me. =/

Daddy and mommy are going to Taiwan this October and they are not bringing me. SoBz~! Been watching Wo De Mei Ren Ji and Mei Li Yi Neng Jie on CTITV and the products they recommended are so wonderful! BUT, many of these products are only available in Taiwan. SiGh~! I wanna go to Taiwan! Anyone wanna sponsor? =P

Getting in the mood.

Went shopping with mommy at Lot 1's Seiyu today. Was only there for one hour 'coz I had to go for tuition with ShiYing after that. Didn't wanna go but mommy insisted that I go with her. Sick of her nagging, I relented. Only bought lingerie. $100 worth of lingerie. I am not kidding. I really did spend that much on lingerie ONLY.

Things haven't been going right for me today.

First, I got the wrong cup size for one of the brassieres I bought. Mommy refused to help me do the exchange though she was free, so I had to go all the way to Choa Chu Kang again for 10 minutes. Couldn't stay on for more shopping as I had to go to Yishun for tuition with Goutham.

Then, I was approached by an elderly Malay lady who could only speak Malay. She came to ask me something. I do not know what she was trying to ask me as I do not understand Malay. She gave me a dirty look before she left me alone.

When I got to Goutham's place, his mom told me that Goutham was still not back from school and she couldn't contact him 'coz he had switched off his mobile phone. Since I was already there, I decided to wait for him. Fortunately, he did not keep me waiting for too long.

NTU has reopened on 7 August and NUS will reopen on 14 August. UOL will only reopen on 11 September. Exactly one month after NUS reopen. Seeing EngChok and HuiJun going back to school makes me miss going to school. Kinda excited about going back to school again. Been idling for too long. It is time to start cracking again.

Lizard WAR

Went to Suntec City with Daphne last Friday. Bought a new pair of Neckermann sandals. The third pair in one month. Love them! HeE~!

Spent the whole of Saturday giving tuition. It was a wonderful day, until I met a boy and an uncle...

Boy
Shared the lift with a boy who was only slightly taller than his bicycle. Held the lift door for him 'coz he seemed to be struggling with his bicycle. When he reached his floor, he said thank you, but added 'AUNTIE' behind. =/

Uncle
Took a bus to Jaslyn's place. I occupied a seat that is away from the window. An elderly uncle boarded the bus at the next bus stop and came to where I was seated. He stood near me and kept leaning on me until I gave up and moved to the seat near the window. There were lots of other seats which were unoccupied on the bus but he just had to sit next to me. Irritating.

Saw a lizard stuck in the gap between the panes of the shower screen while I was taking a shower just now. My first reaction was of course, SCREAM! As I was screaming for mommy to come and save me, I was also wrapping my towel around my foam-covered body. All ready to RUN! As soon as I opened the door for mommy to come in and take care of that lizard, I ran straight into the bathroom in the master bedroom. After making sure that there was no lizard or other yucky pests in there, I continued with my shower, but was constantly looking out for potential threats. SiGh~! That lizard sure scared the wits outta me.

Going to JB with HuiJun tomorrow to get some stationeries from Popular. The Popular there sells very cute and pretty stationeries, not like those we have in Singapore branches which are very standard and not creative at all. We shall be visiting Summit too. The Summit there carries the same models as what we have here in the Singapore Summit outlets but since Malaysia is having Mega Sale, I think it will save us a bit of money if we buy our shoes from there. HeE~!

Just the thought of shopping again makes me feel charged and ready to go. I am a hopeless shopaholic! HaHa~!

New academic year starts on 11 September.

School will reopen on 11 September. Another month for me to enjoy myself before I start with my hectic routine again.

Signed up for yoga lessons at Fuchun CC. Paid $44 for 12 lessons. Shall be going to Suntec City with Daphne on Friday to shop for a yoga mat. =)

Shall be going to town next Tuesday to do some shopping. I need more clothes and accessories for school.

It is National Day next Wednesday. Trying to make myself free on that day so that I have time for more shopping. =P Maybe able to meet up with XiangHong and Pauline too. HeE~! Haven't seen them for a very very long time. =)

Gotta find time to clean up my room one of these days. It is in a total mess now. Can't possibly study in this mess when school reopens. =P

Am attempting to perform a major 'operation' on my schedule now. If unsuccessful, I may have to give up some of my students. SiGh~! Please wish me luck.

Summer romance never lasts

I shall start with an announcement today.

Irene Chew is single.

Is that good news or bad news? Up to you. It is neither a good news nor a bad news to me though.

Went to Batam on 18 June for a day trip with my family. I had never been there prior to this so I was kinda excited.

Took a ferry from the Harbourfront Ferry Terminal to Batam Centre. It was the first time I took a ferry to another country. HeE~!

At the departure hall of the Habourfront Ferry Terminal.

We were not allowed to buy any alcohol from the DFS as we were out of the country for less than 48 hours. Bought some chocolates instead. Nice chocolates they've got there. Yummy!

We started our journey at 935AM Singapore time. The ferry ride lasted 55 minutes and we reached Batam Centre at 930AM Indonesian time. As soon as we reached Batam Centre, we were greeted by the friendly local Chinese tour guides. When everyone had gathered, they led us to Mega Mall for breakfast.

Our welcome drink.

We ate fried tauhu for breakfast. The fried tauhu we had is not the usual fried tauhu that we eat at hawker stalls in Singapore. The inside of the fried tauhu is actually stuffed with fried bee hoon. Yummilicious! The other kueh-kuehs was nothing to rave about though.

We hopped onto the tour bus after breakfast for our half day tour. Most of the tour was conducted on the bus. We only set foot on two places. One, the Barelang Fisabililah Bridge. Two, the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Laughing Buddha Temple.

The Barelang Fisabililah Bridge was said to be the largest bridge linking the tiny island of Tonton Nipah to the larger setoko island, Rempeng island, Galang island and Galang buru island. Nice scenery there. Although there is traffic on the bridge, the local people seem to ignore that fact. They walk on the roads as if the road was theirs. Dangerous! Lotsa street hawkers selling fried seafood sticks too. Didn't buy any as I didn't think it was clean. Better to be safe than sorry. Didn't wanna end up with an upset tummy for the rest of the day. We left the place after 15 minutes.

See what I mean?

The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Laughing Buddha Temple doesn't look like a temple to me on the outside. It looks more like a private residence. =P We were given half an hour to roam on our own at the temple. After offering joss sticks, we found ourselves being followed by a monk. He was wearing plain clothes, but he is bald, so I assumed he is a monk. He kept following us around everywhere and talked to us about the religion. Told us how influential the religion is and how many followers it has. He followed us all the way, never gave up until we boarded the bus. Scary!

The happy Laughing Buddha in the foreground and my fairy godmother, the Godness of Mercy in the background.

After leaving the temple, we headed back to Mega Mall for lunch. On our way back to Mega Mall, I noticed that they have a lot of banks in Batam. The people there must all be multi-millionaires in disguise. But then again, it is not difficult to be one there with Rupiah being so small. HaHa~! I also noticed that the banks there operate 24 hours a day. I wonder what is that for.

The lunch at Mega Mall was very much like the Chinese tze char we have in Singapore, only that it was served in the VIP room. I was expecting some traditional Indonesian food. Was quite disappointed. It was quite nicely done though.

It was free and easy after lunch. Daddy and mommy went for massage while sis and I went shopping. Wanted to do manicure and pedicure but I didn't wanna wait for the manicurist who was busy. Bought a Billabong tote bag at I.D. Girl. Wanted to get a Polo blouse too, but didn't buy it in the end. Nothing much at the mall. It was overrated. SiGh~! Had dinner at A&W. Not nice at all. Still prefer the old A&W we had in Singapore. Went down to the hypermart after dinner and bought some tidbits. Wanted to buy the Winne the Pooh storage unit but didn't know how to pack it back home, so didn't buy it. So sad. =(

We took the 820PM ferry home. Reached Singapore at 1020PM Singapore time. Daddy was prepared to pay at least $30 for parking at Habourfront Ferry Terminal but we later realised that the per entry charge was only $2! HeE~!

Went for an interview at First Impact International the following day. It is a shop selling branded footwear such as Adidas and Puma. JiaMei had recommended me for a job as a temporary data entry clerk there. I made an appointment with the boss to have the interview at 11AM but he was away on an urgent meeting. I was told by a staff to go back again at 1PM. I wasn't too happy with that arrangement but I still did as told. I went back to the shop at 1PM and the boss was still not around. I sat on one of the benches in the shop for another half an hour, until the lady boss came in. She was the interviewer. During the interview, we had agreed that my job will be to enter the stock level of the two shops under First Impact International and the transfers done between the two shops. I was also promised that I would be able to leave the job after I have completed the two tasks. The time frame given to me was two weeks but I knew I could finish it within a week, so I took up the job offer though the pay was not what was told to me at first.

Daddy came to pick me up at Ang Mo Kio MRT station, where we proceeded to Sentosa.

I must be mad to go to Sentosa in office wear.

The admission charge per person is $2 and $2 for the car. We paid $10 in total for 4 adults and 1 car. We almost lost our way while searching for parking space on the island as the map was not very well drawn. After much effort, we finally found a carpark near the beach. Wanted to take the monorail to tour the island but the monorail was not ready, so we took the shuttle bus instead. We had complimentary tickets for the sky tower, so we alighted when we saw the tall structure. It is Singapore's tallest observatory tower. Standing at 131 metres abover sea level, the views it offered was fantastic! The ride was rather short though. We went up and came down again within 10 minutes.

Panoramic views from the sky tower.

We were feeling a little adventurous that day, so we decided to take a walk on the dragon trail.

The Earth Dragon's head...

... and its tail.

The Serpent Octagon.

Heart Of The Forest.

Imbiah Falls.

Dragon Bones.

I am not a person who likes nature that much, so you should be able to imagine how happy I was when I saw this - The Exit!

The trail led us to Siloso Beach. From there, we took the beach tram back to the beach carpark, where we parked our car.

The Bottle Tree at Siloso Beach

We drove away from the beach after we got to our car, to the ferry terminal.

The Sentosa Ferry Terminal.

There used to be an A&W restaurant on that ferry, which I would always go whenever I visit Sentosa. Haven't been on it since A&W pulled out of Singapore.

We had our dinner at Burger King. Each of us had a set meal. I had the Royal Fish burger meal. Love that cheese! Yummy yummy! We paid less than $30 for dinner.

Took a walk down the Lost Cilvilisation And Ruined City.

Trying to imitate the expression on the stone slab.

The place is really ruined. The stone slabs are on the verge of falling backwards and there were no one else visiting that place.

We made our way to the Musical Fountain for the Sentosa show after that.

On our way to the Musical Fountain.

We waited almost half an hour before the show finally started at 740PM, but it was well worth it! It was a spectacular show! Love it to bits! The fountain master was a great host. The Sentosa monkey, KiKi was very cute too. For the story, please go to Sentosa and watch it yourself. HaHa~!

Beautiful.

We went to the sky tower for another ride for the night view as we still have 4 complimentary tickets and we are most probably not going back there anytime soon. The view from the top was pretty, especially after night fall. Nice!

We left the island at about 1030PM. For 7 hours of fun, we only spent less than $50 for the whole family. Now, who said you have to spend a lot of money to have a lot of fun? =P

Started work at First Impact on 21 June. Was made to enter new stock items into the system, which was not within the job scope I agreed to initially. However, as I am a nice girl, I was not calculative and just did as instructed. I was very nice until one day, when I finished all the work I was supposed to do, or rather the work I agreed to do. Sandy told me I had to go back to enter the new stock for her on two separate days. I complained that the work will go on forever since there will always be new stock coming in. She realised I was angry and promised that I could leave after I have finished those. Didn't wanna argue with her anymore and did as told. On my last day, she told me that my pay will be given to me in two instalments. What the ****! That was not communicated to me earlier when I accepted the job offer! I kept hinting to her that it was not right but she could only tell me that it will not take long for me to receive the full payment. ArGh~! Moreover, she would keep calling me every now and then to ask me how to use the system. It was HER system and she is asking ME how to use it. Great! Still waiting for the full amount to be credited into my account. After that, I will stop picking up her calls. =P

Went to Chinatown with WeiQi for dinner on 24 June. We had dinner at the Chinatown Food Street. I had kway chap and WeiQi had mutton soup. The kway chap was acceptable. I still prefer the kway chap in Chong Pang hawker centre. Didn't try the mutton soup 'coz I don't like mutton. WeiQi said it was delicious though.

Wanted to pack home some Shanghainese chee cheong fun but the stall has closed down. So sad. =(

Decided to go shopping in town after dinner. On our way to the MRT station, two uncles came up to us and greeted us. We ignored them but they kept following us. Fortunately, they did not follow us when we ran over to the opposite side of the road. Sick and dirty old men.

Went to a Korean shop in Cathay Cineleisure. We each bought a Korean fruit ice stick. I bought a mango ice stick and WeiQi bought a strawberry ice stick. It was heavenly! HeE~! We took the MRT home after we finished our ice sticks.

On my way home, someone whistled at me. I was the only girl on the walkway, so I was very certain that the person was whistling at me. Was so scared that I ran home. My attire was very decent that day. I wore a normal t-shirt with short sleeves which is not low-cut and a three-quarter length bohemian skirt. How attractive could I have been? SiGh~! Men.

Went to Joanne's tea party with Daphne on 2 July. My parents sent us to her house, so that I wouldn't lose my way. Yes, I am such a big sotong when it comes to directions. HaHa~!

Besides Daphne and I, Joanne had also invited two other friends, Daphne Li and Levene, who used to go to SCGS with her. There was also Shida who was in CJC with us for one year before she transferred to NYP to study nursing. Joanne's long time pal, Lionel was there as well, to entertain us. HaHa~! Just kidding!

We had lots of pretty and delicious pastries for tea. All courtesy of Joanne's mommy! She made all of them herself! I shall start learning how to bake and cook from now on, so that I can hold tea parties like this in future, myself! HeE~!

Went up to Joanne's room after tea to chit chat. We watched V for Venetta on her laptop too. As her bed was not big enough for the six of us, we placed the laptop on the floor and all of us just laid on the floor with Joanne's pillows and bolsters. HaHa~! Had pizza for dinner before Joanne's mom sent us to the MRT station in her father's car.

Took in two new students so that I will be able to pay the tuition fees for 2006/2007 when the bill comes this August. I have 11 students now. How to manage? God, please save me.